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Right of Revolution

Autor:   •  March 14, 2011  •  Essay  •  562 Words (3 Pages)  •  1,845 Views

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John Locke wrote abundantly in his time on different issues ranging from Christianity, knowledge, religious ethics to politics. He wrote a reply to Sir Robert Filmer, who had previously stated in one of his books, that Kings and rulers had divine authority and therefore left no room for any form of resistance. Locke states in the second treatise a follow up to the first treatise that human beings have a right of revolution where the constituted authorities are not acting in the collective interest of the people. According to the Dictionary.com, revolution is "an overthrow or repudiation and the thorough replacement of an established government or political system by the people governed." Consequently, He argues that all human beings have this right as far as it is justified and not in a malicious cause perpetrated by a minority who have a grudge against the powers that be.

John Locke in the 149th convention under the section "of the subordination of the powers of the common-wealth" says that there can be only one supreme power which is the legislative and all other powers must be subordinate, but the supreme power had to be in check by a higher power in the event that they start acting in ways that is detrimental to the society as a whole. He says that the "community perpetually retains a supreme power of saving themselves from the legislators whenever they shall be so foolish or wicked to carry on designs against the liberties and properties of the subject" Hence, in any case the supreme power was acting against the common rights of the people, being the right to life, liberty and estate, they had the justified

innate right to stage a revolution and come up with a government more suited to their common cause.

The right of revolution is a very important tool in history, because it has helped different groups of people across the globes at different time overcome the eras

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